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[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 26, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56188-56189]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8220]

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket Nos. 50-250 and 50-251]

Florida Power and Light Company; Turkey Point Nuclear Plant, Unit 
Nos. 3 and 4 Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant 
Impact

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering 
issuance of an exemption from Title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (10 CFR) part 50, Appendix R, Subsection III.G.3, for 
Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-31 and DPR-41, issued to Florida 
Power and Light Company (the licensee), for operation of the Turkey 
Point Nuclear Plant, Units 3 and 4, respectively, located in Miami-Dade 
County, approximately 25 miles south of Miami, Florida. Therefore, as 
required by 10 CFR 51.21, the NRC is issuing this environmental 
assessment and finding of no significant impact.

Environmental Assessment

Identification of the Proposed Action

    The proposed action would exempt the licensee from the requirements 
of 10 CFR part 50, Appendix R, Subsection III.G.3 for fixed suppression 
in the Mechanical Equipment Room and for detection and fixed 
suppression in the subsection of the Control Building that contains the 
Control Room Roof at the Turkey Point Nuclear Plant.
    The proposed action is in accordance with the licensee's 
application dated December 27, 2004, as supplemented by letters dated 
May 23, 2005, January 13, 2006, and July 12, 2006.

The Need for the Proposed Action

    Fire protection features for assuring alternative or dedicated 
shutdown capability in the event of a fire are addressed in 10 CFR, 
part 50, Appendix R, Subsection III.G.3, which requires that fire 
detection and a fixed fire suppression system be installed in the area, 
room, or zone where equipment or components are relied on for the 
assured shutdown capability.
    The NRC approved the alternate shutdown capability proposed by the 
licensee for Turkey Point, Units 3 and 4, for compliance with the 
requirements of III.G.3, in a safety evaluation dated April 16, 1984. 
The Control Room was one of the areas approved. However, the Mechanical 
Equipment Room and Control Room Roof, which are identified in the plant 
fire protection program report as part of the Control Room fire area, 
were not included. In February 2004, during an NRC triennial fire 
inspection at Turkey Point, the inspection team reviewed fire 
protection systems, features, and equipment, and found that all fire 
zones supporting the alternate safe shutdown function for the Control 
Room do not provide fire detection and a fixed suppression system in 
accordance with the requirements of III.G.3, for both Turkey Point 
units. Specifically, the Mechanical Equipment Room does not have full 
area detection and fixed suppression. In response to this inspection 
finding, the licensee declared the detection and suppression inoperable 
for the Mechanical Equipment Room (and the Control Room Roof, which 
also fails to provide detection and fixed suppression) and established 
an hourly fire watch. The licensee proposed to install a fire detection 
system in the Mechanical Equipment Room and requested exemption from 
the requirements for fixed suppression in the Mechanical Equipment Room 
and for detection and fixed suppression on the Control Room Roof. The 
proposed action would restore system operability and eliminate the need 
to institute compensatory measures.

Environmental Impacts of the Proposed Action

    The NRC has completed its safety evaluation of the proposed action 
and concludes that, based on the existing fire protection features, the 
proposed installation of new detection equipment in the Mechanical 
Equipment Room, low combustible loading, existing administrative 
controls for combustibles, and availability of nearby suppression 
equipment, there is reasonable assurance of adequate suppression 
capability in the affected fire zones. Also, in the event of a fire-
induced failure of safety-related equipment resulting in a loss of 
Control Room heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, there 
is reasonable assurance that there would be adequate time to evacuate 
the Control Room, if necessary, and shut down the plant from the 
Alternate Shutdown Panel. Therefore, assurance of alternative or 
dedicated shutdown capability in the event of a fire is achieved.
    The proposed action is contingent upon installation of new area 
fire detection equipment in the Mechanical Equipment Room, maintaining 
existing or comparable separation and protection for redundant safe 
shutdown equipment on the Control Room Roof, the availability of manual 
fire fighting and associated fire fighting equipment, and maintaining 
existing or comparable administrative controls for combustibles. The 
details of the staff's safety evaluation will be provided in the 
exemption that will be issued as part of the letter to the licensee 
approving the exemption to the regulation.
    The proposed action will not significantly increase the probability 
or consequences of accidents because the exemption is based on the 
existing fire barriers at Turkey Point, fire protection measures, 
availability of nearby suppression equipment, low combustible loading, 
existing administrative controls for combustibles, and installation of 
new fire detection equipment in the Mechanical Equipment Room. No new 
accident precursors are created by the proposed exemption and the 
consequences of postulated accidents are not increased. No changes are 
being

[[Page 56189]]

made in the types of effluents that may be released off site. There is 
no significant increase in the amount of any effluent released off 
site. There is no significant increase in occupational or public 
radiation exposure. Therefore, there are no significant radiological 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.
    With regard to potential nonradiological impacts, the proposed 
action does not have a potential to affect any historic sites. It does 
not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other 
environmental impact. Therefore, there are no significant 
nonradiological environmental impacts associated with the proposed 
action.
    Accordingly, the NRC concludes that there are no significant 
environmental impacts associated with the proposed action.

Environmental Impacts of the Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    As an alternative to the proposed action, the staff considered 
denial of the proposed action (i.e., the ``no-action'' alternative). 
Denial of the application would result in no change in current 
environmental impacts. The environmental impacts of the proposed action 
and the alternative action are similar.

Alternative Use of Resources

    The action does not involve the use of any different resources than 
those previously considered in the Final Environmental Statement for 
Turkey Point Units 3 and 4, dated January 1972, and Final Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement (NUREG-1437 Supplement 5) dated January 
2002.

Agencies and Persons Consulted

    In accordance with its stated policy, on August 7, 2006, the staff 
consulted with the Florida State official, William Passetti of the 
Bureau of Radiation Control, regarding the environmental impact of the 
proposed action. The State official had no comments.

Finding of No Significant Impact

    On the basis of the environmental assessment, the NRC concludes 
that the proposed action will not have a significant effect on the 
quality of the human environment. Accordingly, the NRC has determined 
not to prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed 
action.
    For further details with respect to the proposed action, see the 
licensee's letter dated December 27, 2004, as supplemented by letters 
dated May 23, 2005, January 13, 2006, and July 12, 2006. Documents may 
be examined, and/or copied for a fee, at the NRC's Public Document Room 
(PDR), located at One White Flint North, Public File Area O1 F21, 11555 
Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, Maryland. Publicly available 
records will be accessible electronically from the Agencywide Documents 
Access and Management System (ADAMS) Public Electronic Reading Room on 
the Internet at the NRC Web site, http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS or who encounter 
problems in accessing the documents located in ADAMS should contact the 
NRC PDR Reference staff by telephone at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, 
or send an e-mail to [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of September 2006.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Brendan T. Moroney,
Project Manager, Plant Licensing Branch II-2, Division of Operating 
Reactor Licensing, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 06-8220 Filed 9-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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